Russian forces intensify efforts to encircle Pokrovsk
The occupying Russian forces, which hold a significant advantage over the Ukrainians, are intensively fighting to encircle Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, reported Viktor Trehubov, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Chortytsia group, on Monday.
Trehubov explained on a television programme that the Russians are attacking the city from the south and are attempting to capture forested areas through which logistical routes to Pokrovsk run.
"I wouldn't say they have succeeded, but they are trying very hard and possess enormous resources, primarily human, technical, and logistical," he said.
A key facility has stopped operating
The Reuters agency reported, citing two sources in the mining industry, that the key coal mine for the steel industry in Pokrovsk, Ukraine's only coking coal producer, ceased operations following attacks on Monday.
"Everyone has stopped working," said one of the interviewees.
The Ukrainian project DeepState, which provides the latest reports from the front line and maps the positions of troops, had earlier reported that the Russians made progress in villages that adjoin Pokrovsk from its southern, southeastern, and southwestern sides.
